Fall - 2022

Among the other visionaries to discover the area’s suitability to growing Bordeaux-style grapes was Carmel restaurateur and business- man Walter Georis. “We bought our property in 1980 from the Nasons, a historic Carmel Valley Native American family,” he recalls. A native Belgian, his family were farmers or per- formed work related to farming. “The farming part of making wine was—and is—really impor- tant to me. I wanted to be more in touch with the land and the seasons, and producing wine has allowed me to be in touch with nature, while at the same time producing what I consid- er to be time capsules, a way of measuring time.” The Georis operation is very much a working enterprise.“Our winery is not a luxury architectural statement. The structure was built out of rocks quarried from the vineyard, and it looks like it would be right at home in Belgium. We hold many family events there.” Walter planted the vineyard himself, with family and friends. Employees from his signature Casanova restaurant also come out on days off to help.Today, the Georis property encompass- es 40 acres, with 13 acres planted to grapes, and five to olive trees.“The Carmel Valley AVA lends itself most favorably to red varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc,” Walter says. “And because the days are hot and the nights cold, we get great pigmenta- tion in the fruit, resulting in darker wines.” Jack Galante’s family also purchased a Cachagua cattle ranch. “My parents acquired 700 acres in 1969,” he says. They sold their product—mostly Cabernet Sauvignon—to other wineries, after planting in 1983, until Jack decided to build a winery to produce his own Two Carmel Valley legends: The late Bernardus “Ben” Pon and Walter Georis together brought European sensibilities, hospitality and wine making techniques to the region. C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • F A L L 2 0 2 2 145 Photo: Craig Lovell Photo: Courtesy of Walter Georis